Carrier assembly for railway couplers



Jan. 29, 1957 E. FURNISS CARRIER ASSEMBLY FOR RAILWAY COUPLERS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24, 1955 INVENTOR LOAEE EL WA/ PORN/$5 m iaJan. 29, 1957 E. FURNI SS CARRIER ASSEMBLY FOR RAILWAY COUPLERS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1955 R 7 l N N V R 4M W arm 0 N P y M E mm m mm m N1 NW. Q l i av mm mm #2 E W WR NN R 1 shfi/ g towards thefront of the carrier member 19. This sloping edge 46 is adapted tocontact the top edge of the rear wall 22 of the trough structure duringextreme downward swinging movements of the coupler stem. A sloping face47 provides the under surface of the top plate 42 along the frontthereof which engages the top edge of the front wall 21 during maximumdownward movement of the carrier member. The top surface of the plate 42remains in flat engagement with the under surface of the coupler stem 18when both the front and rear portions of the carrier member engage thetop edges of the trough structure.

A loop 48 is provided at one end of the carrier member 1.9 and a similarloop 49 is carried by the opposite end. The upper portion of the loop 48is formed integral with the associated lug l3 and the lower portion isconnected to the plate 42 by an upwardly extending arm 59. The loop 49is formed integral with the other lug 43 and is similarly connected tothe top plate 42. The loops 48 and 49 are constructed like thosedisclosed in my application Serial No. 389,655, filed November 2, 1953.The loop 48 is provided with an upwardly facing concave surface 61 whilethe loop 49 is provided with a similar upwardly facing concave surface62. The under surface of the plate 42 of the carrier member is providedwith two downwardly facing concave surfaces 63 and 64 and the utility ofthese arcuate surfaces will become apparent as the present disclosureproceeds.

A plurality of springs 66 are provided Within the trough structure forresiliently supporting the carrier member. The lower ends of thesesprings engage the bottom wall 23 and are maintained in spaced positionsthereon by the lugs 26. A spring abutment member 67 is arranged over theupper ends of the springs 66. This member includes a plate portionhaving a relatively fiat under surface 68 as shown in Fig. ll which isadapted to be engaged by the upper ends of the springs 66. A pluralityof spring positioning lugs 69 depend from the plate portion of theabutment member for maintaining the upper ends of the spring 66 inspaced relation. The plate portion of the spring abutment member 67 isprovided with two upwardly facing concave surfaces 71 and '72 which aregenerated about horizontal axes and each has a radius similar to that ofthe downwardly facing concave surfaces 63 and 64 on the carrier member19.

Two cars 73 and 74 depend from the plate portion of the spring abutmentmember 67 at the front thereof. These ears are so shaped and positionedas to provide a space or slot '76 therebetween. These ears 73 and 74 arearranged on the opposite sides of a vertically disposed rib 77 whichextends vertically along the central inner surface of the front wall 21of the trough structure. A lug 79 depends from the central rear portionof the spring abut ment member 67. This lug is adapted to fit within avertically disposed groove 31 in the rear wall 22 of the troughstructure.

The abutment member 67 is supported by the upper ends of the springs 66and a pair of rollers 32 of the type shown in Figs. 14 and 15 supportthe carrier member 19 on the spring abutment member 67 as shown in Figs.1 and 2. One roller 32 is arranged betwen the concave surface 63 on thecarrier member 19 and the concave surface 71 on the spring abutmentmember 67 while the other roller 82 is accommodated between the concavesurface 64 of the carrier member and the concave surface '72 of thespring abutment member. The carrier member is thereby supported forlateral movements relative to the striker 16 by the rollers 82. Therollers 82 are prevented from escaping endwise from operative positionsby means of depending flanges 63 on the carrier member 19 (Figs. 1 and8) and the flange 44.

The draw bar of the coupler which rests on the carrier member 19 isresiliently supported by the springs 66. The load imposed on the carriermember 19 is transmitted through the rollers 32 onto the spring abutmentmemberv 67 which is supported by the upper ends of the helical springs66. Upward movement of the carrier member 19 is limited by a pair ofrollers 88 having enlarged heads as shown in Fig. 13. These rollers areaccommodated in the elongated openings 31 and 32 in the front wall 21 ofthe trough structure and in the elongated openings 36 and 37 in the rearwall 22. The rollers 88 extend through the loops 48 and 49 on thecarrier member. The horizontal elongation of the openings in the wallsof the trough structure provide for lateral movements of the carriermember as disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 389,655,filed November 2, 1953.

During lateral movements of the carrier member with respect to thestriker it is supported on the rollers 82 which roll on the springabutment member. The downwardly facing concave surfaces 63 and 64 on thecarrier member and the upwardly facing concave surfaces 71 and 72 on thespring abutment member 6'7 serve to return the carrier member to acentral position within the striker opening 17 to thereby provide swinghanger action for the carrier member.

During lateral movements of the carrier member the spring abutmentmember 67 is restrained from moving horizontally. The rib 77 whichextends into the slot or space 76 between the ears '73 and 74 and thelug '79 which extends into the groove 81 prevent the abutment member 67from partaking of the lateral movements of the carrier member. Thespring abutment member is free to move vertically as the springs 66 arecompressed and during expansion of these springs. in all verticalpositions of the abutment member 67 it is restrained from movinglaterally with respect to the striker because of the interlockingarrangement of the ears 73 and 74 with the rib 77 and the lug '79 withthe groove 81. Accordingly the upper end portions of the supportingsprings 66 are not shifted laterally during horizontal angling of thecoupler stem and there are no shearing stresses developed in thesupporting springs 66.

In mounting the carrier on the striker the springs 66 are first arrangedwithin the trough structure with their lower ends surrounding the springpositioning lugs 26. The spring abutment member 67 is then arranged overthe upper ends of the springs. The rollers 82 are applied to the concavesurfaces 71 and 72. The carrier member is then arranged in an angularposition so that one of the loops may be moved through an open area 24.Thereafter the carrier member is swung to a horizontal position so thatthe concave surfaces '63 and 64 rest on the rollers 82. The carriermember is moved downwardly to compress the springs and the rollers 88are introduced through the openings 31 and 32 in the front Wall andthrough the loops 48 and 49. The enlarged heads of the rollers are thenapplied to the shaft portions of the rollers adjacent the openings 36and 37. The rollers 8 8 limit upward movement of the carrier memberwhich 18 then in condition for operation.

The carrier assembly has particular utility for an interlocking typecoupler but it may also serve to support the draw bar of other types ofcouplers. Various changes may be made in the structure of the separateparts and such modifications along with changes in the generalorganization may be made without departing from the Spirit and scope ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:

1. In a carrier assembly for the draw bar of a railway coupler, astriker having an opening in the front thereof for accommodating thedraw bar, a trough structure at a forward portion of the striker belowsaid opening, an abutment member adjacent an upper portion of saidtrough structure, springs within the trough structure resilientlysupporting said abutment member, a vertically extending rib carried byand within said trough structure, said abutment member having a slottherein receiving S id rib preventing lateral motion of the abuttingmemher, a carrier member under said draw bar and overlying said abutmentmember, a downward facing concave surface on the carrier member, anupward facing concave surface on the abutment member, a roller inrolling engagement with the concave surface of the abutment member andin rolling engagement with the concave surface of the carrier member,and means limiting upward movement of the carrier member with respect tothe striker.

2. In a carrier assembly for a railway coupler, a striker having anopening in the front thereof for accommodating a coupler stem, a troughstructure including a front wall carried by a forward portion of thestriker below said opening, an abutment member adjacent an upper portionof said trough structure, springs within the trough structureresiliently supporting said abutment member, a vertically extending ribwithin and carried by the front wall of said trough structure, saidabutment member having a slot therein receiving said rib preventinglateral movements of the abutment member, a carrier member under saidstem and overlying said abutment member, downward facing concavesurfaces on the carrier member, an upward facing concave surface on theabutment member under each downward facing concave surface providingpairs of confronting arcuate surface, a roller between each pair ofarcuate surfaces, and means limiting upward movement of the carriermember with respect to the striker.

3. In a support for a railway coupler, a striker, a trough structurecarried by a lower forward portion of the striker having generallyvertical front and rear walls, an abutment member adjacent an upper endof said trough structure, springs within the trough structure supportingsaid abutment member, a vertically extending rib carried by said frontwall within the trough structure, said rear wall having a verticallyextending groove therein, a lug carried by a rear portion of theabutment member extending within said groove, said abutment memberhaving a slot in the front portion receiving said rib, a carrier memberoverlying said abutment member, downward facing concave surfaces on thecarrier member, upward facing concave surfaces on the abutment member, aroller in rolling engagement with one of the concave surfaces of theabutment member and in rolling engagement with one of the concavesurfaces of the carrier member, another roller in rolling engagementwith another of the concave surfaces of the abutment member and inrolling engagement with another of the concave surfaces of the carriermember, and means limiting upward movement of the carrier member withrespect to the striker.

4. In a draft rigging for a railway coupler, a striker having an openingin a front portion thereof, a trough structure carried by a lowerforward portion of the striker having generally vertical front and rearwalls, a vertical- 1y extending rib carried by the front wall within thetrough structure, and said rear wall of the trough structure having avertically extending groove therein.

5. A spring abutment member for a carrier assembly for a railwaycoupler, a plate having a substantially flat under face, springpositioning lugs projecting from said face, upward facing concavesurfaces on the upper portion of said plate, a pair of ears dependingfrom an intermediate portion of said plate having a vertically disposedspace between adjacent edges thereof, and a lug depending from anintermediate rear portion of said plate.

6. A carrier assembly for a railway coupler comprising, a striker, atrough structure carried by a lower forward portion of the strikerhaving a bottom wall, said striker having a front opening above thetrough structure for accommodating a coupler stem for lateral movementswith respect to the striker, a carrier member having a top plate forengaging an under surface of the coupler stem overlying said troughstructure and adapted to move laterally with respect to the striker withsuch movements of the coupler stem, helical vertically disposed springswithin the trough structure with lower ends thereof engaging said bottomwall, a spring abutment member engaging upper ends of said springsresiliently supported on said springs for vertical movements relative tothe striker, rollers between the spring abutment member and the carriermember supporting the carrier member on the spring abutment member andduring said lateral movements of the carrier member, means limitingupward movement of the carrier member relative to the striker, andvertically disposed guide means adjacent an intermediate portion of thetrough structure preventing lateral movements of the spring abutmentmember relative to the striker throughout the range of verticalmovements thereof whereby lateral movements of upper portions of saidsprings relative to lower portions thereof are avoided during lateralmovements of the carrier member relative to the striker.

7. A carrier assembly for a railway coupler comprising, a striker, atrough structure carried by a lower forward portion of the striker, saidstriker having a front opening above the trough structure foraccommodating a coupler stem for lateral movements with respect to thestriker, an abutment member, vertically disposed helical springsresiliently supporting said abutment member on the trough structure forvertical movements with respect to the striker, a carrier memberengaging an under surface of the coupler stem adapted to move laterallywith respect to the striker during such movements of the coupler stem,rollers supporting the carrier member on the abutment member and rollingtherebetween during said lateral movements of the carrier memberrelative to the striker, means limiting upward movement of the carriermember relative to the striker, vertically disposed inter-engaging guidesurfaces carried by intermediate portions of the abutment member and thetrough structure preventing lateral movements of the abutment memberrelative to the striker throughout the range of vertical movementsthereof whereby upper portions of the springs remain substantially inalignment with lower portions during lateral movements of the carriermember relative to the striker.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,058,269 Strid Oct. 20, 1936 2,513,834 Zeidler July 4,. 1950 2,556,732Metzger June 12, 1951

